1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method and system for data processing or information handling systems in general and, in particular, to a method and system for dynamically selecting a boot process in a computer system. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and system for automatically performing extended hardware diagnostics during a boot sequence after a system failure has occurred within a network environment without user intervention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Due to today's complex server systems or multi-processor system designs, an effort to improve overall system availability by designing for rapid initial program load (IPL) operations has become a necessary requirement by the end users of these systems. In the prior art, speed and availability was achieved by curtailing, or removing the system Power-On Self Test (POST) operations entirely. In removing or curtailing POST, system integrity was comprised and if the system developed a problem, the end user would not be aware of it until the failing part was used, or after damage was done to the user's data. Therefore, maintaining system integrity and determining when the system has problems are important requirements. Furthermore, performing system POST with its extended diagnostics on every boot for large complex server systems increases the boot time typically by a factor of three to four times in a normal day-to-day end user environment, an unacceptable situation.
Therefore, there is a need for performing subsequent minimum boot operations during power-on after extended diagnostics required in a full POST operation have been completed. Furthermore, there is a need for automatically invoking extended diagnostics without end user intervention when a system failure has been detected and after the failure has been corrected, returning to subsequent minimum boot operations. The subject invention herein solves all of these problems in a new and unique manner that has not been part of the art previously.